1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to utility devices and is particularly directed to a plurality of utility devices which are each formed for a respective purpose, such as belt clips, handles and the like, and which are releasably attachable to attaching members which are fixedly secured to substantially any desired object to provide added usefulness and utility to the desired object.
2. Prior Art
Many times people encounter objects which they feel could be much more useful, if they had a handle, clip or the like which, unfortunately, they do not have. This is generally a personal matter and the desirability of such a handle or clip may vary from person to person. For example, insulated covers for beverage containers are generally not provided with handles or clips for attaching the cover to a bicycle, wheel chair, window ledge, fence or the like. The reason that such handles or clips are not provided may be added cost of production, need for larger packaging, display space, etc. Furthermore, many people are satisfied to grip the beverage cover with their hands for drinking and to set it on a table or the ground, when they are not drinking from it. On the other hand, there are many other people who would prefer to have a handle for gripping the beverage cover or who would like to be able to releasably attach the beverage cover to a bicycle or the like, when they are not drinking from it. Many prior art devices have been proposed to overcome such problems. However, most of the prior art devices have been capable of serving only one specific purpose. Thus, holders have been provided, into which insulated beverage covers may be inserted, and these holders frequently have handles. On the other hand, these holders have no provision for attaching the beverage cover to a bicycle or wheel chair. Again, clips have been provided for releasably attaching beverage containers to bicycles or wheel chairs, but these clips do not have handles for use when drinking from the container. In the same light, belt clips have been proposed for releasably attaching a beverage container to the user's belt, but these belt clips are not adaptable for attaching the beverage container to a beach chair or boat railing. Numerous other instances will come immediately to mind in which the user may wish to adapt substantially any given object in a manner which the manufacturer did not contemplate or chose to ignore.
In a related vein, campers, backpackers and the like often desire to attach a plurality of duffle bags, knapsacks, tents and the like together, although the manufacturers often have not provided straps or attaching means for accomplishing this. In the past, such problems have been solved by employing ropes, belts, straps or the like to tie the desired objects together as best they could. More recently, Nexus Company, whose address is 230 W. Gerry Drive, Wooddale, Ill. 60191, has developed connecting devices, called "lash points", comprising plastic rectangles, which may be sewn or otherwise fixedly secured to a desired object and which have a plurality of slits provided along the edges of the rectangles through which belts or straps may be passed to facilitate tying the desired object to another object. However, no means has been provided which will enable these lash points to serve in adapting a desired object for a plurality of purposes, as discussed above. Thus, none of the prior art attaching devices have been entirely satisfactory.